Knitted fabric



Patented July 15, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KNITTED FABRIC EsterHughes, New York, N. Y., assigner, by direct and mesne assignments, toNo-Run. Corporation Application April 1, 1940, Serial No. 327,312 zclaims (ci. ess-19t).

.uns invention relates to knitted fabrics of the runproof kind and amethod of making the same and has for one of its objects to improvegenerally upon such fabrics.

An important object is to produce a.` structure whereby not only is thefabric runproof and otherwise durable in wear 'but it may be made indifferent weights and'textures for many uses and is ideal forlight-weight hosieryA in particular.v

A further object is to produce a fabric which does not detract from thefanciful appearance and elasticity so desirable and essential in suchfabrics but rather enhances the same and the knitting of which can beperformed practically and economically by machinery as well as by handwith the use of ordinary needles.

With the foregoing and other objects and advantages to be attained, aswill hereinafter more fully appear, the invention consists in theparticular fabric structure and the method of producing the same ashereinafter described and afterwards dened in the appended claims,reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part of thisspecification, in which- Figure 1 is a front or right side 'View of apiece of plain knitted fabric illustrative of one embodiment of 4theinvention, the main body stitches and sustaining or run-preventivethreading being shown on an enlarged scale and in open mesh toillustrate the fabric structure and method o producing it; and

Figure 2 is a similar view of a modification of the fabric structure andmethod of producing the same.

Referring now more particularly to Figure 1 of the drawing, the numeralI designates the body of knitted fabric as a. whole, the same comprisingthe transverse interlooped rows or courses of needle loops 2 formed ofthe knitting thread proper A, said loops 2 alternating with interposedsinker loops 3 formed of the same thread.

'I'he needle loops 2 are upwardly directed bights of the thread A withtheir pairof legs I downwardly convergent, while the downwardly directedintervening bights, called the sinker loops 3, have their legs iupwardly convergent, or, in otherwords, the same parts of the threadcomprise the legs of both the needle loop 2 and the sinker loop on eachside thereof.-

A sustaining or run-preventive weft thread B is rst carried floatinglythrough the respective needle loops 2 of each row or course thereofright after the same is completed, that is to say,

straightway with only such slight sinuosity its occurs by passing saidthread B forwardly 56 through the first needle loop 2 of the row, thencerearwardly and across the next adjacent sinker loop 3 and so on throughthe row. In doing this the thread is alined through the wider parts ofthe needle loops near their -closed ends and across the narrower partsof the sinker loops near their open `ends,las shown at the upper rightportion of the view in Figure l. Then, after the sustain ing orrun-preventive thread B is thus carried through the row of needle loops2, the next row or course of loops 2 are jointly knit with thesustaining or run-preventive thread `B into intern looped engagementwith the needle loops of the just previously completed row or course asillustrated at the upper left of Figure 1, that is to say, the thread Bis drawn up and carried rearwardly over the closed ends of therespective needle loops 2, as at 6, and thence across the wider portionsof the sinker loops 3 on the rear or wrong side of the fabric and at aslight inclination, as at l, between the respective turns 6 over theclosed ends of the needle loops 2, this being the relative needle loopand sustaining or run-preventive formation throughout the entire body ofthe fabric.

It is here pointed out that the interlacing of the transverse or weftthread B is an effective Usustaining or run-preventive medium, butpeculiar sinuosity longitudinally of the fabric provides idealelasticity to the fabric and affords ample transverse stretch withabsolute recovery to normalcy when relieved of the pull thereon.

The fabric constructed as shown in Figure l and in accordance with themethod as set forth in the foregoing description, is in al1 materialrespects, except for the special sustaining or runpreventive thread Bincorporated therein, conventional and suitable `for hosiery and likepurposes where a sheer and ve `elastic fabric is required. In thisconnection., it is here noted that the major` portion of the sustainingVor runpreventive thread B which crosses the sinker loops 3 on the rearor wrong side is hidden from the front; or right side of the fabric.

In Figure 2 of the drawing, a modification of the fabric structure andmethod of making thel same is illustrated.' This particular fabric ismore particularly adapted for the top portions still other purposes andmore especially in garments such as sweaters and the like.

In this particular modification as shown in Figure 2, the knittingthread proper A1 is rst knit into a row or course of needle loops 2l1with intervening sinker loops 311 similar to the loops 2 and 3,respectively, of the first herein describedfabric structure. A second orcompanionvrow or course of needle loops 2b are interlooped in the needleloops 2, as at 2c, and preferably given a partial twist, as at 2d, andthrough these loops 21 a sustaining or run-preventive thread B1 is firstcarried loosely and floatingly, straightwise except for slight sinuosityfrom rear to front of the fabric, and a substantial length '.B2 of thethread B1 being left free and loose at one end of the row or course ofsaid needle loops 21 (see upper right of Figure 2).

After the sustaining or run-preventive thread B1 is thus insertedloosely in the needle loops 2b, portions are successively drawn up frombetween said loops 211 and looped, as at B3, and twisted or twirledeither a half turn, as at B4, or one or more full turns, after which anew row or course of needle loops 2 and sinker loops 3 are knittedintolooped engagement with said twisted or twirled loops B3 of thesustaining or run-preventive thread B1. A companion row or course ofloops 2b are then knitted into the new row or course of needle loops 2B,said new row or course of companion loops 2b next receiving thesustaining or run-preventive thread B1 which is then drawn laterally andformed with the loops B3 which are twisted, as at B4, as hereinabovedescribed, and the process is thus carried on until the fabric iscompleted to the desired extent thereof.

The peculiar twisting or twirling of the looped portions of thesustaining or run-preventive thread B1 gives to the fabric a desirableslightly increased elasticity longitudinally of the fabric and a greatlyincreased elasticity transversely thereof. In this connection, it ishere noted that the reactive effect of the twisted or twirled p0rtionsof the sustaining or run-preventive thread B1, invits tendency tounwind, gives a partial twisted or twirled effect to the purled needleloops 2b, all of which enters into the ideal elasticity of the fabric asa, whole as well as the runproof characteristics due to the peculiarinterknitting of the two threads A1 and B1. Y

It is here pointed out that in adaptations of the invention in a fabricfor light-weight hosiery the sustaining or run-preventivethreads B andB1 are preferably much ner than the threads A and-A1. However, in somefabrics, the threads A, A1, B and B1 may be of the same size ordiameter, and, in some cases, the'sustaining or-runpreventive-threads Band B1 may Abe of a larger Y size or diameter` than the needle threadsproper AxandAl.-

It is further notedthat the formation of a fabric of thecharacter ofthat illustrated in 2,249,081 l y i i' Figure 2v of the drawing may beagain modified by eliminating the companion row of needle loops proper2b and knitting the sustaining or runpreventive thread B1 with itstwisted loops B3 directly in interlooped fabrication with the needleloops proper 2, in which latter modification there will be alternaterows or courses of needle thread loops proper with directly interveningrows or courses of the peculiarly twisted or twirled loopings B3 of thesustaining or run-preventive thread B1.

While the foregoing described fabric structures embody preferredpractical adaptations of the invention, it is obvious that still furthermodification is contemplated within the purview of the appended claims.The invention, therefore, is not limited to the specic structuresillustrated in the accompanying drawing.

What is claimed is:

1. A knitted fabric comprising transverse rows of alternate needle loopswith intervening sinker loops formed of a body thread, and interveningtransverse rows of sustaining thread loops formed of a thread carriedrst floatingly and sinuously through the thickness .between the frontand rear-faces of the fabric and alternately through the respectiveneedleloops and sinker loops of the body thread after each row thereofis formed, and the sustaining thread so placed being pulled laterallyand upwardly from between the respective needle loops of the body threadand said laterally pulled portions of the sustaining thread being loopedand twisted between the respective loops thereof and the interveningportions which remain interlooped with the needle loops lof the bodythread and the needle loops of the body thread formed in the nextsucceeding row being knitted with interlooping engagement in sinker loopportions formed in the sustaining thread between said upwardly pulledlooped and twisted portions of the thread.

2. The knitted fabric structure as set forth in claim l and further morespecifically describing the main body formation including the rows ofbody thread loops, in that the conventional knit rows of the body threadeach include the alternate needle loops and intervening sinker loopsformed inthe regular way, but with the rows so formed a. specialintervening additional row of such loops is knitted with interloopingengagement on its sinker loops in the needle loops of an adjacentregularly knitted row of the body thread loops,

and the therein described formation of the sustaining thread having itssinker loop portions interlooped with the needle loops of said specialintervening additional row, the next formed adjacent regularly knit rowof body thread loops having its sinker loops in direct interloopedengagement in the twisted loops of the sustaining .thread andtheneedleloops of said next'adjacent regu-v larly knit row being drawnupwardly through said twisted loops of the sustaining thread'.-

'JUL

ESTER` HUGHES.

